Explosive Moments

You may have noticed I have been absent for a few weeks. I've been dodging some explosive moments and putting out a few fires. Excuse me for not being around, I've missed being here. But if there is one thing I have learned, as both a mother and a wife , is when duty calls your family comes first. When God beckons, I better suit up and rush out the door, ready to face whatever fires He is asking me to extinguish.

We thought that on the heels of WB's Great-Grandmother passing away, our own little swine flu epidemic, praying for good health to return so we could travel to the funeral, then back home for the burial, lots of family, many, many little ones underfoot and frayed nerves that we could manage to avoid any other explosive moments. That, however, was not to be the case.

When it seemed the dust was settling, Little One was again tested for the flu and still positive. The doctor also heard a few extra heartbeats. An EKG later we were told that the extra heartbeats did not show up on the EKG, good news. They would send it off the the cardiologist though to be read. We received reassurances that only once did she ever have to refer a patient to the cardiologist and all would be fine. But a week later they called to tell us the pediatric cardiologist did indeed see something on her EKG and we were being referred. Only problem was we'd have to wait until Dec. 10th to see the doctor. With a mother who spent most of her life as a cardiac care nurse and a father with heart problems that started during childhood, I really did not want to wait so long to see the doctor. Everyone offered reassurances that it "will probably be fine to wait" and that it is "most likely not a big deal". Regardless, it felt like someone spraying water on an oil fire. It wasn't helping.

So I pray, asking God if it is patience He is seeking or just a little bit of faith. I lay in bed at night thinking of all the things I'm neglecting. I write stories in my head, because typing them out just isn't going to happen anytime soon. I feel like the fires are lapping at my heels and I'm slowly melting.

Then one night I close my eyes, say my prayers and fall sound asleep. I am awakened by my husband sitting straight up in bed asking me "What was that sound?' I hear nothing. He jumps up telling me it shook the house. I become alarmed as he jumps out of bed and runs downstairs. I still hear nothing. Out our window I see him look to the horizon and quickly turn towards me and motions me outside. As I walk outside I can hear the loud swooshing sound, like a jet engine roaring. I follow the direction of my husbands stare and there on the horizon is a ball of fire.

All I can say is in those moments, when you have no idea what is happening or what is to come, you have nothing but your faith to rely on. Suddenly, everything comes into sharp focus. My thoughts turn towards my three sleeping children and I realize that there are things that are out of my control. The only thing I can do is have faith. Have faith and listen closely for the rumblings of explosive moments. And when they happen turn to God and let Him take control.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James1:2-4






*The explosion was an underground gas pipe exploding 5 miles from our home. God was watching over our little community because the explosion was in a neighborhood and yet no one died. One house is completely gone, 2 more damaged, and three people sent to the hospital. Our normal high winds were non-existent and we had an unusually high dew point that evening to keep the fires from spreading across the plains.

Testing...testing

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In Loving Memory...

Two weeks ago our family suffered a great loss. WB's grandmother passed away. She was 94 years old and up until a few weeks ago in very good health. We are so thankful that in the end she passed peacefully, had her three children with her, and was able to converse with them.

With our sadness comes great joy in knowing this woman, Mary Catherine or Mary C. as she was called by friends. Mom, Grandmommy, and Great-Gram by others. I could tell you she was a wonderful knitter, needlepointer, huge Dallas Cowboy fan, faithful follower of our Lord, wife, mother, sister and the list goes on and on. But I'd like to tell you what she taught me in particular.

I first met Grandmommy over 16 years ago when WB and I stopped by her house before a date. She and her husband lived in the same house they had lived in for over 40 years. As I met them at the door I couldn't help but smile at the very petite woman with the big brown eyes who stood beside her towering husband. Later I would be told she was the tallest of her sisters, hard to believe. But although small in size her heart and personality were enormous.

Being only a couple of hours away from where we went to college, and later just an hour from where we would live, I enjoyed many afternoons and evenings at their house. Grandmommy always had a warm meal and even a warm bed ready for me whenever I needed it. Being so far away from my own family I treasured the home-cooked meals and the afternoons spent watching football with her. She always muted the commercials, "Nonsense", she would say. Instead she preferred to spend the commercials chatting or sitting quietly as she needlepointed in her chair.

I watched as she buried her husband. Family crowding around to offer her support, yet it seemed as if she was really the pillar for everyone else. Her no-nonsense attitude combined with her strong faith saw her through the difficult times. I went into labor with my oldest child while visiting at her house. I felt overwhelmed, but she just nodded and said "Everything will be alright" which showered me with a sense of calmness.

There are so many stories to tell about this neat lady. She and her husband walked the floors of the hospital where they had volunteered for many, many years with a book cart. Granddaddy was 92 with braces on both legs as they both went room to room asking patients if they'd like a book or magazine to read from their cart. She made knitted blankets, caps, and slippers for a local charity every Christmas. She supported her church with whatever Father asked of her. She truly had a giving spirit.

But the one thing I will never forget is the way she taught me to pray. She was often given prayer intentions for it seemed she had a direct line to Heaven. One time when she was asked to pray for a particular thing she chuckled. "Well," she said, "I'm not in the business of telling God what to do, but rather I'll ask him to watch over you and guide you and to give you wisdom." So now whenever I pray I remember that. I don't tell God what to do but rather ask for His strength and guidance and that His will be done. It was a very powerful lesson she taught me that day.

You will be greatly missed Grandmommy, but I have no doubt you are resting in a most beautiful place. Godspeed!

Excuse My Absence Please

I'm sorry I've not been around. On Sunday my husband's grandmother passed away and as we were making plans to get to the funeral 3 out of my 5 family members came down with the swine flu. The funeral is this weekend and I hope to be back soon. I just need to take care of my precious ones at the moment and it is taking all I have.

Can't wait to catch up with everyone soon!

Strom Clouds Are Brewing

I love the wide open Texas skies that surround my house. At any given time I can view miles and miles of sky in any direction. Even when I am in town I can see a storm front on the horizon, one that might not even arrive here until evening.

At night I can watch the spectacular lightening show of an impeding storm. No sign of its presence for hours except for the jagged streams of light that dance across the sky on the horizon. Sometimes I can walk outside and just wait for the signs that the storm is almost upon me. I can sit unseen, darkness my cloak, as I listen for the distant sounds of thunder. Slowly, the wind begins to whirl around me with sounds of rumbling growing louder overhead giving me plenty of warning before the first drops of rain splatter against my upturned face.

No storm has ever snuck up on me while living in the Texas Panhandle. Some move quicker than others, but you know they are coming. That is why as a writer it unnerves me to read someones description of the Texas skies, whether it be the present or one hundred years ago, as some sort of silent stalker. It's difficult to stalk across hundreds of miles of open sky without someone noticing. Even if that storm builds right over you there is no missing it with no trees or tall buildings barring the view.

It kind of reminds me of those Hollywood movies where the setting is supposed to be Montana, yet when the actor drives along the highway you see Palm trees dotting the road. This drives me crazy. Who are they fooling?

Which brings me to my point. Whether you write historical or in the present what are some things you do to research your setting to make sure it come across as authentic? I myself tend to stick to writing about places I've been, but maybe not everyone does. Is there ways to get around that or will your reader not be fooled and know right away you've never walked along a crest in the Scotland Highlands?

One Way To Promote Your Book...

I've told you all about my mother-in-law Pat and how she self-published a book a while back. It was about her childhood and growing up in the Texas Panhandle. One thing many people worry about when self-publishing is how are they going to promote their writing. Getting it out there. Actually, there are no guarantees even if you get published with a big publishing house that they will spend a lot of time or money on promoting your book. Much of the responsibility will fall on your shoulders either way you go.

My mother-in-law has done a great job of getting her work out there. She's given copies to local libraries, museums, and even where the hair salon where I get my hair done. It just happens to be in the same small town that many of her stories are about. Even though all of these books were given away they helped to spread the word about her book. Eventually, this form of networking will pay off.

One such way it has paid off for her is NPR (National Public Radio) called her and asked if she would agree to an on-air interview and reading an excerpt from her book, Growing Up In The Texas Panhandle. She agreed and came up one week to tape her segment. My oldest daughter decided to go with her to check out the workings of a radio station. Lucky for her because she ended up being interviewed too. What fun she had!

It pays to get yourself out there and spread the word about your book. You never know where it might lead.

What are your ideas about self-promoting your works?

Finally...

My bouncing signal bounced over the canyon 7 days ago and never came back. I kept running to my computer to read blogs, check e-mails, order invitations, do research, etc. I would get halfway to the office and realize, "Oh, I don't have an Internet connection." But I would always double check, thinking maybe my dear lost signal had found it's way home. It never did.

This morning I am happy to report my new service is up and running. I'm a little giddy from the excitement. I can't wait to catch up with everyone. I also can't wait to catch up on posts for all my blogs. They've been dancing around in my head for days, now to just find the time to write them all down!

To leave you with a little chuckle here is a little something my oldest daughter said while the family watched Star Wars Return of the Jedi the other night. My husband recorded it on his Facebook page.

Last night I found my daughters enthralled with "Return of the Jedi." They seemed to have a hard time keeping the characters straight, and I was constantly being bombarded with questions. I did my best to answer.
During one scene, the Emperor wants to demonstrate to Luke the futility of resisting the dark side of the force. In an ominous voice, the Emperor issues an order to the Death Star to destroy the rebel starship fleet:
"Commander, fire at will!"
Em pipes up, "Who is Will?"

Do you remember that scene? We really got a good laugh out of Em's question, what fun!